Wife needs a new car, 2012 Honda CRV or 2012 Toyota RAV4.

[chmura]

I'm in the market for a small sized 4 cylinder SUV for my wife. We are expecting our first child in May so I want to get her a new car since she never has owned a new car before and we need the extra space for our new addition to the family. She does not want to huge SUV.

I was dead set on getting a 2012 Rav4. When the new Honda CRV came out that kind of changed everything. The interior on the Honda is very very nice, I think it blows the RAV4's away. The RAV4 interior seems really dated. I guess this is expected since the RAV4 is due for a complete redesign, next year? The CRV has a cool i-MID LCD screen which displays a bunch of information like the back up camera, radio, bluetooth, your own wallpaper, fuel consumption, etc. I thought that was cool, because typically you need navigation in order to see these features on a screen. I really do not like the backup cam in the rear view mirror on the RAV4, I prefer it in a bigger screen. The CRV has this neat one pull folding seat type mechanism. with one Pull it folds the rear seats automatically. Thought that cool a neat feature too.

My wife test drove both 2012 Honda CRV and a new RAV4 over the weekend.

She really likes the CRV but she said the RAV4 drives smoother and more quiet than the CRV. The CRV is much more quiet then the previous generation but still little louder than the RAV4. I think this might be due to the noisy bridgestone tires that are on it.

Wish I can wait to see what the next generation RAV4 would look like already and the specs of it. But we need a new vehicle in the next month or two.

I think getting the CRV makes the most logical choice since the next generation RAV4 will be out probably in less than a year from now.

[Torque Splitter]

I'd say both are top shelf light SUV's worth so much more in the long run than a gas-guzzling tahoe or some other land yacht. I dont know enough about the CRV's to tell you all the pro's and cons, but i do indeed like the look of the CRV very sporty. they both have the option for the CVT (constantly varying transmission). i wouldnt go with it simply because its just not been refined enough for me to trust and is expensive as hell to fix.

The RAV4's come with an available v6, where as the CRV's come with only two variants of the 4cyl. The RAV4 has allways been more of the offroad type where as the CRV is more the grocery getter. I''m unaware of the type of AWD type CRV's use but the RAV4 uses a torsen rear differential (i think?). its great for snow and other hazardous terrain.

I have the old first generation model and I love it. I can't tell you more about the CRV simply because ive never worked on them or owned one

P.S. can someone verify if all the RAV4's use torsen rear differentials?

[rav4two]

I looked at the new CR-V and also think that its design and materials are way beyond that in the current Rav. I even thought that the interior was nicer when I purchased my Rav in late 2009, but offsetting that was the engine in the CR-V was pretty anemic. My wife and I came out of sports cars and other vehicles with pretty powerful motors (as it seems that you have) and we decided that despite the sideways opening liftgate (which we hate), the inability to get the model and color we wanted, and some other smaller annoyances, that the power of the 3.5 liter engine made up for all of that in spades. As a road-trip car to places at high altitude, it has made all the difference to us, especially the ability to climb mountain passes at the speeds we want without the engine buzzing away at high RPM, and without much of a fuel economy penalty. Handling was slightly crisper in the CR-V, but not significantly so, and are changeable with new springs anyway so if that were to ever become a problem, it could be fixed relatively cheaply.

So depending on what you're used to and how you intend to use your vehicle, this may be an important consideration. If Honda were to ever put a V6 into the CR-V (and not price it like the RDX), I think there's no competition until the new Rav comes out.

[RTexasF]

they both have the option for the CVT (constantly varying transmission). i wouldnt go with it simply because its just not been refined enough for me to trust and is expensive as hell to fix.

The RAV4's come with an available v6, where as the CRV's come with only two variants of the 4cyl.

You've picked up some bum information somewhere. Neither the RAV nor the CR-V is offered with a CVT transmission. Honda is a 5 speed auto across the board. Toyota is a four speed auto with four cylinders and a five speed auto with the six.

The CR-V comes with one engine only. It is a 185 HP 2.4l four cylinder.
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To the original poster: If you are considering four cylinder engines only the 2.5 in the RAV has considerably more moxie than the 2.4 in the Honda. Transmissions differ by one gear with the advantage to the Honda.

The V-6 in the RAV is a game changer and exceeds the sum of its parts. If I were shopping only with four banger engines in mind I would buy the Honda. A quick drive in the V-6 RAV and one can overlook a lot of less than positive factors.....it's THAT good.

[Carbon]

Originally Posted by chmura

The RAV4 interior seems really dated. I guess this is expected since the RAV4 is due for a complete redesign, next year? The CRV has a cool i-MID LCD screen which displays a bunch of information like the back up camera, radio, bluetooth, your own wallpaper,

Dated :-) On the TV shows where they shop or remodel houses, the presence of carpet, wallpaper and non-granite counter tops seem to be major meanings of "dated". And now you want wallpaper!

You absolutely should not buy a car that you feel is "dated". Instead you should choose your car based on the music system. :-^

[Torque Splitter]

yeah kinda did, just researched it a bit more and found out the cvt variants are only in japan, same with the RAV4. still in the experimental stages i suppose. and the engine 2.0L R20A4 might be the same story. I should read entire articles next time heh

[Dr. Dyno]

Originally Posted by RTexasF

The V-6 in the RAV is a game changer and exceeds the sum of its parts. If I were shopping only with four banger engines in mind I would buy the Honda. A quick drive in the V-6 RAV and one can overlook a lot of less than positive factors.....it's THAT good.

Perfectly said!
If you want just the latest amenities the CRV is for you.

If you're a timid driver for whom "pedal to the medal" means slamming on the brakes, go for the cute stuff and baby engine of the CRV.

On the other hand, or rather foot, if you like the ability to slam everything in the back against the rear door with the pedal on the right, you'll fall instantly in love with 3.5 liters of muscle!

[chmura]

Thanks everyone for all your responses!

I know the RAV4 has a V6 option. We do not want a V6 at all. My wife wants the most fuel efficient small suv as she can get. It is her choice at the end. She does not care about performance in this type of vehicle. The CRV handles great and that is a huge plus since it drives and handles like a car. She is coming from a 2001 Corolla so anything new will be an upgrade for her. We just need a slightly bigger vehicle for our new born that is coming. I eventually want to buy myself a 4runner 4x4 since I am selling my Tacoma 4x4 to get her a CRV/RAV4.

Anyone know any hard rumors when the redesigned RAV4 is coming out? 2013 or 2014? I heard that 2013 will be the same body with an EV model and 2014 will be the redesign??

The CRV does come with a CVT transmission as stated above but only in Japan.

[Blogson]

My wife has a 2010 CR-V and I have a 2011 RAV4 V6. We haven't looked at 2012 models. Both of ours are good vehicles. The CR-V's 4 cylinder has more than enough power for most maneuvers, although my RAV4 V6 is much better for passing up grades on our mountain roads with very limited passing opportunities. Her CR-V gets 3-4 MPG better than my RAV4. Interiors are a matter of choice and opinion although her CR-V instrumentation is more "modern" as with more computer-type displays. I prefer the instrumentation on my RAV4, but the speedo display on my RAV4 pretty much washes out with direct sunlight more than does her CR-V speedo. Our cars both have upgraded interiors, hers because of the model and mine because of an optional upgrade package and they are of comparable quality. The V6 sounds more refined than does the I4.

A factor to consider is the quality of dealer service departments. So far in our area Honda service departments in general are more competent than are Toyota's, but I still have two more Toyota service departments to try. The Toyota Care program saves money on maintenance over its two-year time period. My wife got only one free oil change for her CR-V.

[JuneBug]

Originally Posted by chmura

The CRV has a cool i-MID LCD screen which displays a bunch of information like the back up camera, radio, bluetooth, your own wallpaper, fuel consumption, etc. I thought that was cool, because typically you need navigation in order to see these features on a screen. I really do not like the backup cam in the rear view mirror on the RAV4, I prefer it in a bigger screen. The CRV has this neat one pull folding seat type mechanism. with one Pull it folds the rear seats automatically. Thought that cool a neat feature too.

The 2012 RAV4 has a cool Entune screen which runs apps through your phone among other things.

As for the seat folding mechanism, well Honda stole that idea from Toyota. The RAV4 has had that feature since 2006.

Three years ago I was on the fence between the CR-V and the RAV4. After seeing how complex it was to tumble and fold the rear seats on the CR-V and feeling the power of the V-6, I was sold on the RAV4.

The new CR-V has a special compartment for your wife's purse, and a little fold down mirror to keep an eye on the kids. I'm sure she'll love it.

As for the styling of the new CR-V, from some angles it looks good, but not from the front. Yuck!!